Sparkling Brut 2011

Made in the traditional, centuries-old French method of Champagne making, this beautiful sparkling wine is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown in the limestone soils of the Argetsinger Vineyard. Bottle fermented and aged en tirage for seven years until being disgorged and finished by winemaker Morten Hallgren and his team in the summer of 2018. This sparkler pleases with tiny bubbles and delicate aromas of baking brioche, delicate white lillies, and flinty minerality.

“The 2011 Brut is a roughly equal blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from Argetsinger Vineyard's 34-year-old vines, the winery's only non-estate vines but a regular source. It was on the lees for 72 months and disgorged in May 2018. It comes in with four grams of sugar, 9.8 of total acidity and 12.5% alcohol.
This is stunning, another reason why I keep recommending FLX sparklers. It is complex, toasty and nuanced, with a long finish and seductive texture. There is a modest oxidative hint—it spent 72 months on the lees!—but it is very much under control. The fine acidity lifts and defines the fruit, making sure this still seems energetic despite its age. This seems to have plenty of life left, so there should be no rush if well stored. There is admittedly not much track record, but it is beautifully built. On the other hand, there is no reason to wait. It's fabulous now. For a wine like this at this price, buy as much as you can find. There will be about 350 cases produced in this disgorgement.
One of the stars in the region, Ravines makes everything well, including the reds. This was a stunning group, perhaps led by the amazing sparkler at a great price.” 93 points, Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate; Mark Squires, 6/28/19

Vineyard Notes

33 year old Chardonnay vines and 32 year old Pinot Noir vines from the Argetsinger vineyard on the south-east side of Seneca Lake. The soil consists of howard gravel over limestone bedrock. The growing season was exceptionally warm in 2007 with near ideal conditions. Hand harvested on September 15th and 16th.

Production Notes

After a long, gentle, whole cluster press cycle, the juice underwent its first fermentation in stainless steel tanks. After being bottled in the spring of 2008, it completed the second fermentation by late summer. Long lees aging took place to improve foam structure and fine bubbles. Hand riddled and disgorged during the first half of 2016, with a dosage introducing less than 5g/l of sugar.

Join our Mailing List

Signup for our newsletter and stay up to date with events, news, new wine releases, and more!